PARIS, 22 July
2004 - While
Giselle packed the Palais Garnier, Rudolf
Nureyev's boisterous and good-natured Don Quixote was staged
simultaneously at the Opéra Bastille, which gave artistic director
Brigitte Lefèvre the opportunity to cast several of the younger dancers
in the main roles.

After three remarkable performances alongside
Agnès Letestu as Kitri, twenty-year-old Mathieu Ganio, who held the rank
of sujet for his debut as Basilio on the 14th of May, found himself with the
title of étoile after his last appearance on the 20th. This young
dancer, (Franz in the Opéra School's production of Coppelia"*),
has amply demonstrated that he possesses all the qualities required to be an
étoile. He is tall and intelligent, with romantic good looks. As a
youthful Siegfried in the Opéra's internal competition for promotion
earlier in the season, he seduced with his supple elegance and the long
sweeping arcs of his leaps, three of which sufficed to cross the stage. His
interpretation of Kourbski in "Ivan the
Terrible" displayed his natural dramatic gifts, the slender boy
becoming a man in the force of age.

Mathieu Ganio in Don
QuixotePhoto: Icare

And in spite of the fact that he is basically
a romantic classical dancer, he rose to the challenge of Basilio the barber,
teasing the girls and clowning around, all the while dazzling the audience with
his formidable technique.

From her very first entrance, Letestu lit up the stage
with her beauty and charm. Quick-witted and flirtatious in the first act,
mischievous and playful with her lover, she was also the most generous of
partners. Totally in command of all the technical demands of the role, she was
serene and lyrical in the vision scene.

Agnès Letestu and Mathieu Ganio in Don Quixote Photo: Icare

Something unusual was happening at the Sunday
matinée on the 23rd. The air was electric and the theatre packed to
capacity for Dorothée Gilbert, just twenty, partnered by Emmanuel
Thibault, two of the Paris public's favourites. Both are sujet, a nonsensical
ranking for Thibault now twenty-nine, which means they are part of the corps de
ballet. The performance was quite simply unforgettable from the instant
Thibault arrived on stage with the lightest and most breathtaking of jumps.
Dorothée Gilbert is not only a brilliant technician, she is also
bursting with vitality, life and charm while Emmanuel Thibault is quite
exceptional.

Dorothée Gilbert in Don
Quixote Photo: Icare

An outstanding artist, he introduced an element of
the Commedia dell Arte into act one, while his interpretation of the mock
suicide scene to trick Kitri's father into blessing their marriage was one of
the best ever seen. But above all, the crowd craves Thibault because he can
jump; his technique is sensational. He is light, effortless and aerial with
soft, impeccable landings. The first act was a joyful explosion of virtuosity
from Kitri and Basilio while the firework display at the end had the theatre
roaring. Is there any other company in the world that can afford to hide a star
of such quality in the corps de ballet?

Patricia Boccadoro writes on dance in Europe. She contributes to
The Observer and Dancing Times and was dance consultant to the BBC Omnibus
documentary on Rudolf Nureyev. Ms. Boccadoro is the dance editor for
Culturekiosque.com.